Eris Rising
by LG MAAT
Summary: When Pluto falls, Eris will rise. An encounter with an otherworldly girl sets the destiny of the Sailor Senshi down a new path. Based on the manga continuity.
1. Act 1

Hello True Believers! This is the start of what I hope to be a four book series called The Eris Sequence. It starts following what is commonly referred to as Sailor Moon R and is based off the manga continuity. Mostly. Vaguely. Yes, it's a crossover with Naruto. No, Naruto won't be a god-mode sue with a senshi harem. Yes, everything will (probably) be explained as the story progresses. Although I'm ultimately writing this for my own benefit, I hope there will be people out there who will enjoy this story. If you are one of them then I'm glad I could brighten your day.

Thank you to my creative writing tutor Zoe and everyone else on the course for giving me the courage to do this. Now for a word from our sponsors:

Sailor Moon and all of its characters, settings, concepts and plot are the intellectual property of Takeuchi Naoko. Naruto and all of its characters, settings, concepts and plot are the intellectual property of Kishimoto Masashi. The following is a not for profit fanwork made out of love for both series.

Now, without further ado, I present Eris Rising: Book 1 of the Eris Sequence.

* * *

Chapter 1

The girl ran. She ran in an almost blind panic across the rooftops of an unfamiliar city, disorientated by the vast amount of discordant noise assaulting her from every direction. She leapt from building to building with an ease born from years of training and practice until she came to a rest atop a high rise building, its height providing a slight relief from the sounds of urban life. From her vantage point she spotted the back of a traditional looking building on top of a small hill surrounded by trees.

Desperate for a fragment of relative normality she sprinted towards the building, vaulting over a bus as she crossed a busy road, much to the surprise of its driver. Less than a minute after reaching the base of the hill she was at the top and a single leap took her up to the tiled roof of what was revealed to be a shrine.

There her gaze fell upon a slim figure dressed in the garb of a shrine maiden, whose long dark hair swayed back and forth as she energetically swept the shrine's courtyard, her back turned away from the girl as she hummed to herself under her breath, basking in the illusion of solitude. The girl just stood there, spying on the priestess below, as she tried to collect herself.

She was broken out of her reverie by an attack from a pair of crows. As she dodged the birds, her foot dislodged a loose tile and she tumbled from the rooftop. She had but a second to take in the fine features of the startled shrine maiden before all was black.

* * *

The princess dreamed. She dreamed of a sewer-like corridor, bathed in an unearthly light which stained the scene sepia. Tepid water reached up to her ankles, soaking the hem of her previously pristine white dress and, even worse, the ends of her long blonde hair. Sighing and muttering in disgust she randomly picked a direction and proceeded onwards. As she headed down the passage the air became heavy with a sense of dread malevolence which only grew worse with every step.

Eventually the corridor came to an end, opening into a large room bisected by the bars of a giant cage which stretched from floor to ceiling. Inside the cage the princess could see the massive shadow of a monstrous creature which radiated pure hatred and contempt for all lesser beings. Even though she could not see its eyes, the princess knew it was staring at her; she could feel its baleful gaze run across her skin, sending shivers down her spine. But she was a warrior as well as a princess; after only a brief hesitance she stepped forwards to better see what it was she faced. In response the shadowy beast rose up on its four legs, a multitude of tails unfurling behind it.

Drawing close she could see the beast resembled a fox, however its features were twisted enough that there was no chance of mistaking it for a mortal beast even if it was not larger than a house. The fox's mouth curled into a vicious grin and it spoke, to the princess's astonishment.

**_"_****_Well now. This is a surprise. How many years has it been since I have had any company other than that loudmouthed brat? Don't be afraid girl; come closer."_**

The princess obeyed, if only out of an almost childish defiance of her own fear. The fox slowly reached out one of its strangely hand-like paws towards her through the bars only to roar in anger as golden chains suddenly sprang out of nowhere and dragged the beast back into the depths of its prison.

**_"_****_Damn you Kushina!"_** he howled as he struggled futilely against his bindings. **_"I will not be denied my freedom!"_**

A woman, with long hair the colour of a ripe tomato, stepped out of the shadows, clad in the garb of a warrior. The princess knew the costume well; countless times she'd worn similar as she reluctantly stepped onto the field of battle. The warrior walked over to her and dropped to one knee, her head bowed before royalty, unbothered by the standing water.

"Your majesty, forgive my late arrival."

"Who are you?"

"A warrior, who let her guard down when she most needed it. A jailer, who could not contain her charge. A wife, who was blessed to die in her husband's arms. A mother, who was never there for her child. Your servant, who never awoke to her calling. And a woman, wearing a uniform she has never earned." She raised her head and met the princess's gaze. "Soon my child will come to be by your side. Trust and you will be trusted. Protect and you will be protected. Love and you will be loved. Please, your majesty, I who failed you before you were even born have no right to ask anything of you but please look after my child."

The princess's next words spoke of her true nature.

"I will."

* * *

**_"_****_This is not over yet!"_**

* * *

I can and will not make promises as to when new chapters will appear as I am writing the story out of sequence as and when inspiration strikes. (Seriously, I have a chapter in the middle and the epilogue but the second chapter's only halfway done). Once the 'next' chapter is done, hopefully to my satisfaction, I will try to post it as soon as possible.

Reviews, especially ones with constructive criticism, are welcome. I know it's not perfect (there are bits I'm severely disappointed with) and I welcome any chance to improve both chapter and vers... I mean story. I hope together we can build something spendid together.

On that note, I welcome anyone who would like to play the part of beta reader. Feel free to send me a personal message if you're interested. (A warning: I'm British so use British English. I make no apologies for this.)

Finally, I'm considering changing my 'pen name' as I came up with it ten years ago while I was at University. I've grown up a lot since then and am now a little embarrased at calling myself 'Tyrant Pope'. I advise holding of putting me on Author Alert for now. (I'm only planning to write this at the moment so Story Alert will be all you need.)

See you next time.


	2. Act 2

Confession time: my source of the Sailor Moon manga doesn't use honorifics and I don't watch the anime so my use of honorifics is cobbled together from third party sources. If I have a character use the wrong ones, please correct me.

Also, I hate the formatting on this site. I have a nicely written out word document with my own special paragraph breaks and this site butchers it. If anyone can reccomend an alternative, I would be grateful.

* * *

Act 2

St Luke's International Hospital was a massive modern complex overlooking the Sumida River. It was rated as one of the ten best hospitals in all of Japan, making it little wonder Hino Takashi chose it as the emergency contact for the shrine where his father and daughter resided. Unfortunately the main building was painted uniformly in an unpleasant shade of brown, but you can't have everything.

The three girls clad in summer dresses walked through corridors which seemed to belong to a fancy hotel rather than a place of medicine, politely keeping out of the way of various doctors, nurses and porters as they went. Rei flicked some of her long purple hair off her shoulder as she turned to her friends.

"Thanks again for coming. I know you probably have better things to do than visit a stranger with me."

"It's really no big deal. I mean my Mum works here after all. Besides, I got curious when you mentioned she was blonde" the short haired Ami replied.

"Um... Ami-chan? Is it really that weird? I mean Minako-chan and I are both blonde." Usagi chipped in.

"Even you can't have failed to have noticed how not common blonde hair is in Japan."

"Was that a blondes are stupid crack?"

"Because you sooo prove otherwise. How the hell did you get that from that anyway?"

Usagi and Rei glared at each other intently as they fell into pointless bickering.

"Girls. Girls! In case you have forgotten, we are in a hospital!" Ami reined her friends in. "If you can't play nicely, then take it outside."

She received a chorus of "Sorry Ami-chan." The girls looked at each other and started to laugh.

Although Tsukino Usagi, Mizuno Ami and Hino Rei may have seemed like just ordinary junior high school girls on summer break, unbeknownst to the people around them, they held secret identities as Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars, guardians of humanity granted power by their namesake planets. They, along with their friends Kino Makoto and Aino Minako, a.k.a. Sailors Jupiter and Venus, as well as Usagi's boyfriend and soulmate Chiba Mamoru, the vigilante Tuxedo Mask, were the reincarnations of the champions and royalty of the fabled yet forgotten kingdom that once flourished on the moon a thousand years ago.

"So anyway, what's this business about hair colour?"

"It's nothing really. Just a theory I've been thinking about regarding our powers. I want to tell you when we've got everyone together."

"Fair enough. For now, it's strange roof girl visiting time." With that Usagi thrust open the door and the girls got their first look at the patient.

The girl's European heritage was obvious; the tall well-proportioned physique, the blue eyes which brimmed with barely repressed mischief and, most noticeable of all, the long blonde hair worn in twin ponytails which Rei had first seen back at the shrine. The only thing that stood to mar her stunning beauty were three whisker like marks on each cheek. It was clear; no matter where she went in Japan, heads would turn. Right now, they would turn because she was currently positioned half way out of a fifth storey window.

* * *

When Naruto had first awoken, she'd thought she was in a hotel room of some description, albeit one vastly beyond her budget. Dark wooden flooring and panelling, black stone fixtures and fittings, a huge, comfortable looking leather armchair by windows which stretched from floor to ceiling, even a private balcony. Only the standard issue patient bed and various monitors surrounding it spoiled the illusion.

Naruto had no patience with hospitals. Over the years she had wound up in them far too often and she would always recover faster than expected thanks to... it. Staying would result in nothing more than having the doctors perform unnecessary tests with even more unnecessary needles. With this in mind, she was halfway through her great escape when the door burst open and three girls her age stared at her in shock.

They were a more colourful looking bunch than any of the locals with hair of blue, purple and... did that blonde girl really have buns as well as ponytails? When they realised Naruto was poised atop the balcony railing they surged forwards all shouting at once.

"Don't do it! It isn't worth it!"

"Don't worry about the fees! We've got you covered!"

"You're too pretty to die!"

Naruto was about to calm them down and explain when the blonde tripped over her own feet, sending her colliding into Naruto and knocking them both over the railing.

* * *

"Stop screaming already. I've got you."

Usagi opened her eyes and found herself securely held in the arms of the mystery girl who was... standing on the vertical wall? She could see Rei and Ami poking their heads through the window above them, concern plastered across their faces.

"Can you wall walk?" the girl asked. Usagi shook her head, confused. "'k then. I'm gonna pass you up to your friends. Alley oop!"

The girls pulled Usagi back to safety, collapsing into a tangled heap on the floor by the armchair. Mystery Girl followed with less difficulty and considerably less embarrassment.

"What the hell were you thinking, charging at me like that?"

"You were the one climbing out the window! What were you thinking?" Rei countered.

"Don't like hospitals." Mystery Girl shrugged, like that solved everything. "Look. Could you not make a big deal out of it?"

"We were worried about you. You got hurt at my shrine. You're my responsibility."

"So that was you, huh? I'm sorry I worried you but I'm fine now, see? I just want to get out of here."

"And go where? Is there anyone waiting for you? The doctors couldn't make heads nor tail out of your ID."

"You're not from around here are you?" Ami asked. "You treat a fifth storey window like a door, you walk on walls and think other people can too, your paperwork apparently makes no sense and your features are exotic."

"I don't even know where here is."

Usagi extended her hand and smiled. "Welcome to Tokyo. I'm Tsukino Usagi. The nosy" "Hey!" "one's Mizuno Ami and the shrine maiden's Hino Rei."

"Uzumaki Naruto, future hokage of Konoha." Naruto took her hand. Usagi had no idea what that meant.

"Nice to meet you Naruto-chan."

* * *

"I can probably convince Grandpa to let her stay with us for a short while," Rei made airquotes with her hands as the trio made for the exit, "until we can find her parents."

"Agreed. It's probably not a good idea to let social services get involved if she's from another world. Or dimension. Or the future. Or the past? Alternative timeline? Multipl..."

"Breathe, Ami-chan, breathe!"

Ami took a moment to stop hyperventilating then, in that moment of silence, realised that their normally talkative leader hadn't said a word since they'd left Naruto's room; Usagi's face showed her to be uncharacteristically lost it thought. Rei noticed it too.

"You're not acting like you and it's freaky. What's wrong?"

Usagi smiled melancholily at her friends. "She must be so lonely. Lost in a new world; no friends, no family, no home. At least Chibiusa had us to look after her, even if I was mean to her." She ignored, or failed to notice, Rei muttering "you still are". "Naruto-chan has nobody. I was also wondering" she took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh "whether she's a friend or an enemy."

Ami pursed her lips. "You do have a point. Weird for us usually means a threat or the target of one."

This thought took the girls to the exit in contemplative silence. They blinked as they walked out into the sunlight then again as they realised who was standing before them staring at the building.

"Oh come on! It looks like that from the outside? Who the hell thinks "this is an awesome building but it needs more brown"? If they wanted to make it cooler they should have made it orange!"

As Usagi ran forward to berate her fellow blonde, Ami conspiratorially leaned towards Rei.

"If this is the standard of our enemies now, I think we'll be just fine."

* * *

In the next chapter: the plot begins! Unfortunately this means I will need to do things like map out the timelines and such which means that it will take a while as I am rather busy at the moment. Your patience is appreciated.

As always, review if you have any potentially useful opinions. Critisism is more useful than praise when it comes to making this the best it can be (though praise will make be feel good).


	3. Act 3

Sorry it's taken me this long to get this chapter uploaded. Naruto finished in the time it took! Thankfully I've now got the timeline for the whole story written out so future chapters should arrive quicker. Enjoy!

* * *

Act 3

In a traditional tatami-laden room adjunct to the Hikawa Shrine's currently inert central fire, two girls sat drinking their tea in contemplative silence. Rei was a picture of classical Japanese beauty; the quintessential shrine maiden. On the opposite side of the room... Naruto's legs were seriously beginning to cramp.

A day had passed since Naruto had met the three girls during her escape attempt from the brown hospital. Rei had somehow been able to pay for her outstanding medical fees (what was up with that, she wondered. What sort of crooked hospital charged its patients?) and invited her to stay the night at her home/place of part-time employment. Rei's grandfather was surprisingly quick to agree to the charitable arrangement; it seemed to Naruto that the old man knew more than he was letting on but whatever that was she had no hope of fathoming.

The blonde practically leapt to her feet when a polite knock sounded from the door. She pulled it open to greet an unfamiliar rose-haired girl almost as tall as she was. They blinked at each other uncertainly.

Behind the stranger, Naruto saw the technically familiar figures of Usagi and Ami, the former of whom gave a cheery little wave, and another new girl with voluminous blond hair ostensibly bound with a red bow who was quick to kick things off.

"Aha! You must be Naruto-chan; Usagi's been gushing about you. Sorry we're late Rei-chan but we've got homemade Mako-chan cakes for everyone." The tall girl in question sheepishly held up a basket, from which a delectable aroma arose, and stepped inside.

The welcoming party that followed was a new but pleasant experience for Naruto who had little social experience with teenage girls, at least teenage girls who weren't trained killers. The enthusiastic blonde declared herself to be the great Aino Minako-chan-sama, earning groans from her friends, while Mako-chan was revealed to be Kino Makoto who delighted in everyone's enjoyment of her cooking and with whom Naruto struck a surprising accord over their mutual love of plants.

Being the new girl, the conversation naturally ended up centring on Naruto and where she came from and Naruto revelled in telling them all about Konoha and all her friends there. Some things she kept to herself; even years on, the sting of betrayal was still too much and there was no way she could tell them about It. Time flew swiftly until the sound of those psychotic crows sent Rei to her feet to see who was outside.

Killer intent registered on attuned shinobi instincts. Naruto rushed after Rei, hoping she wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Time slowed to a crawl as Rei watched Naruto fly backwards from the lead droid's mighty blow. Brief horror turned to blazing wrath. How dare the monochrome nightmares appear before her again!

First they helped Koan of the Spectre Sisters murder innocents at her school. Next they had assisted Rubeus of the Black Moon Family in taking her prisoner to be used against her friends. Now they had the gall, months after their masters had been eradicated, to appear at her home, attack her guest. They would burn for this!

"Mars Planet Power, Make Up!" She uttered the sacred incantation and was enveloped by the holy power of the Red Planet. Behind her, she could sense her sisters-in-battle similarly transform. Now clad in her signature red and white uniform, Sailor Mars turned her attention to the enemies literally at her gate.

An explosion of flame drove the monstrosities back towards the thankfully quiet street but failed to kill a single one despite her recent growth in power. They seemed to possess a dark vitality they previously lacked though the way some of them would twitch seemed freakish and unnatural even for them, as well as incredibly painful.

Sailor Venus rushed past her and flicked her golden belt out like a razor whip, bisecting a droid at the waist and causing its form to collapse into an inky mess which dissolved into the wind. Good, they could still be killed.

One after another, the Sailor Senshi unleashed their attacks upon the droids, the humanoid abominations seemingly unable to muster a meaningful offensive without the guidance of their dark masters. However it was at the cusp of victory when Mars realised that the last survivor had slipped past their line and was at the threshold of her home where Naruto lay helpless. She clasped her hands together and tried to summon an attack but there was simply not enough time.

The droid passed out of view and Mars heard the sound of flesh striking flesh repeatedly. It reappeared, staggering backwards about a dozen steps into the courtyard before tripping and landing on its rear. Naruto emerged from the doorway after it, as did Naruto, Naruto, Naruto and Naruto?

The lead Naruto, and Mars couldn't believe she was using the term, reached out her hand, palm up, to another like she was asking to be handed something. Another Naruto moved her hands over the open palm as if sculpting clay. A spinning yellow ball of magic manifested in Naruto's hand and with a cry of "Rasengan!" she shot towards the droid who had pulled itself back to its feet. The aptly named Spiral Shot slammed into the unliving puppet, blasting it into oblivion.

As her copies disappeared in almost cute puffs of white smoke, Naruto turned to the Senshi and cheekily asked "so... what's with the outfits?"

* * *

A lone droid floated in a vat at the centre of the underground chamber. Two figures, who could not be less alike, pondered its fate. Around them bleeding edge technology shared space with rune circles crafted with forgotten arcane lore.

"What were you thinking?" the provocatively dressed woman demanded of her colleague, her crimson locks whipping around her as she angrily turned her head. "Wasting precious eggs on the mindless castoffs of failures. They weren't even able to awaken before they were destroyed!"

"Now,now," answered the man, clearly a scientist of sorts by the way he was dressed though all his other features were obfuscated by the darkness "I wouldn't say they were entirely mindless. Unintelligent, perhaps, but they held some vestige of their original purpose. I can't help but wonder what that was.

"And this last specimen is not like the others; my tests have shown that. It seems far more... robust. I look forward to its field results."

"Tch! So you plan to throw away yet another egg?" The sorceress began to head for the exit. "I hope for your sake, Professor, that this one proves more successful. I would hate to have to report to the master about your continued failures."

"Have fun with your witches, my dear!" The Professor saw her off with a wave then sighed to himself. "You used to appreciate the scientific method, Kaori-kun. What a waste."

He turned back to his victim, a grin plastered across his face.

* * *

Naruto had always thought girlishness made girls weak. Sakura and Ino were too concerned with clothes and dieting and boys (well one particular boy, who they constantly fought over) to bother with important things like training and ramen while nobody knew what went through Hinata's head but the way she kept fainting meant she had to be unfit, right? These girls seemed even worse than the ones Naruto knew back home but when the call to battle came they had no problem launching attacks that would impress most adult shinobi without even breaking a sweat, even if their wonderfully coordinated outfits seemed unfit for purpose. Then, as soon as the dust had settled, they had switched right back to 'girl mode'. They were supposed to be taking her to their secret base for debriefing but that apparently meant heading through a local shopping district and the exercise had turned into a spree of clothes shopping with Naruto's purchases being covered by Rei using her apparently wealthy father's account. And God help her, she was enjoying herself. At least she had managed to veto any skirts. Well, most of the skirts.

The girls had seemed surprised that Naruto could see right through their 'disguises', as if they had expected an outfit with no mask and no change to their hair styles or, locally unusual, colours to conceal their identities. Ami, on the other hand, seemed excited by the prospect, saying that it was the final proof she needed for her theory.

Their headquarters was located in a building marked as Game Center Crown, three words that made no sense to Naruto when combined. Inside was a sight she was wholly unprepared for: rows of tall computers throwing out copious amounts of light and sound, all screaming "play me! Play me!" In one corner, a large dual screened machine had seats with wheels in front of them while opposite it another had a platform with colourful arrows pointing in every direction. Near the door there were glass cabinets filled with cute fluffy animal toys which were being menaced by a claw reaching down from the sky. Despite the wonders in front of her, Makoto was more interested in the fair haired young man staffing the front desk, with whom she started coquettishly flirting.

Checking that no other customers were around, Ami input a code into a machine marked Sailor V (and didn't the mascot on it bear an uncanny resemblance to Minako's costumed guise) which slid backwards revealing a secret staircase leading downwards. Descending into the basement, Naruto was shocked to learn that the headquarters was an elaborate command centre boasting technology far beyond anything she had seen in Tokyo, let alone Konoha. Amazingly it was manned (was that even the right word in this situation?) by a headset wearing black cat who was operating a bank of computers. Another cat, this one white, unfurled himself from where he lay curled on a table and sauntered over to greet the girls. As he got close, Naruto noticed a crescent moon pattern emblazoned on his forehead.

"It's nice to meet you Naruto" he said. Behind him Ami had stepped forwards to quietly converse with the black feline. "I would imagine you have a lot of questions."

"Like how come a cat can talk" Minako chimed in.

"Nah, I'm completely fine with this."

"Really?"

"I mean I've never actually heard a cat speak but I have heard, let's see... dogs, toads, snakes, slugs... I think that's everything so far..."

"Wow... that's just... wow"

The cat noisily cleared his throat. "Now that we've rather neatly cleared the first hurdle"

"Ami-chan thought Luna was an angel" Usagi helpfully supplied.

"And that's why she's my favourite" the black cat replied as she climbed into Ami's arms. The bluenette petted her in response.

"As I was saying... now that we've cleared the first hurdle, I think introductions are in order. My name is Artemis and that lovely lady in black is Luna. We are the ones whose duty it is to watch over the girls in battle.

"Now I notice you are from... let's go with 'out of town'. So you will not be aware of the tales that have been all over the news. These girls are... yes Usagi?"

Usagi lowered the hand she'd raised as if to get the teacher's attention. "Would it be okay if I told her?"

"You are the leader. By all means, go for it."

Usagi struck a bit of a pose, her posse automatically falling into sync behind her. "We are the Sailor Senshi, those chosen by the planets to wield their powers to protect the people of Earth from those who would destroy their peaceful everyday lives."

Naruto could only think of one thing to say.

"...Cool!"

* * *

Wow, this looked a lot longer on Word! You may have noticed that this is Act 3 rather than Chapter 3. After watching Crystal to get the honorifics right, I was reminded about what the manga called its chapters and thought I'd do the same.

Act 4 is already underway (yay!) and the whole process should go a lot faster once canon events start happening. The chapters/acts should start getting lonnger as well.

BTW Naruto's chakra is going to be yellow rather than blue as that's apparently how it is in the (B&amp;W) manga. I figured if I was being 'loyal' to one manga, I should be loyal to both. I'd prefer it to be blue but you can't have everything.


	4. Act 4

Am I right in thinking this is the fastest I've ever uploaded a chapter?

* * *

Act 4

Their tale was an incredible one. A thousand years or so ago their planet and moon had each been ruled by a single mighty kingdom. Endymion, prince of Earth, and Serenity, princess of the moon, had fallen deeply in love but an earthborn witch had sold her soul to a great evil and raised up an army to overthrow both kingdoms. After seeing her daughter commit suicide due to her lover's murder and foretelling darkness consuming all mankind, the moon's queen, confusingly also named Serenity, sacrificed her life and her kingdom to seal the evil and send the souls of the fallen to be reincarnated in a more peaceful age.

Now, in the modern age, fate had brought Usagi, the reincarnation of Serenity (the younger one), into contact not only with her old guardians, the Sailor Senshi, but with the reborn Endymion, Chiba Mamoru, now her boyfriend 'Mamo-chan'. He now assisted his true love as the hero Tuxedo Mask, prompting Naruto to ask what a tuxedo was.

Needless to say, this was a lot for Naruto to take in. All this talk of destiny also bothered her; it reminded her of a certain arrogant jerk who she'd forcibly had to beat some humility into.

The tale got weirder. Just after the ancient evil had been defeated for good and their peaceful lives had resumed, they encountered a little girl, the improbably named Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity, Usagi and Mamoru's future daughter. While being pursued by deadly enemies, she fled to the present day seeking to save her mother... by robbing her mother's past self of the Legendary Silver Crystal, the source of her power as Sailor Moon. Travelling a thousand years into the future the Senshi found Crystal Tokyo being corrupted by a dark monolith and Neo-Queen Serenity trapped in a coma. Only through the sacrifice of a comrade and the awakening of Chibiusa, as the little princess was known in the present, as the next Sailor Moon could they overcome their enemies and restore the world. That would have been the end of it had the resurrected queen not foisted her daughter onto her past self.

The two cats showed Naruto how to access footage of the Senshi's past battles on the computers. It was compelling viewing but the (on paper) professional soldier couldn't help being concerned...

* * *

"...which is why I called you here today."

About a week had passed since Naruto had arrived in Tokyo and she was starting to get use to its perpetual hubbub. Her exploratory wanderings had led her to the Arisugawa-no-Miya Memorial Park, a pleasantly forested patch of land only a few streets away from the Hikawa shrine. Between the trees, the lake and the spots of classical architecture, Naruto's homesickness began to ease a little. Heck, if she'd been able to afford anything in the convenience store to the south, she would have been tempted to set up shop here.

"It would have been helpful if you'd said where in the park you wanted to meet!" Minako chided the girl. Rei stifled a laugh with the back of her hand; she'd come with Naruto and so had to endure none of the ordeal that her friends had to.

"Oops?" Naruto laughed sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. "Look, I've got a question for you guys: how long has it been since you guys last had to spring into action?"

"A week ago; you were there!"

"Usagi, I meant before then."

Ami pursed her lips contemplatively. "It was back in last year so I'd say eight or nine months now."

"And how often do you train?"

Realisation dawned on Minako's face; she could see where this was going.

"We... don't?"

"Not as a Senshi, but I do Karate."

"We've never needed to. The power just comes to us when it's needed."

"When it's needed? So you didn't need it when the Spectre Sisters overpowered you with your own elements and kidnapped you?" Naruto mercilessly pounced on Rei's response. "You're fine with being helpless against a stronger opponent?"

"That's not..." Tears began to form in the shrine maiden's eyes and Naruto realised she had crossed a line.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's just you guys have a lot of raw power but little finesse." Naruto did not know the meaning of hypocrisy. "Pretty much all you do is stand back and lob your biggest attacks at your opponents. If the other guy's stronger than you, you've got nothing to fall back on. 'Sides, people back home would tear you apart if you're that predictable."

"That's not true!"

"It kinda is."

"Hey! I'm not that bad!"

"V-chan! You traitor!"

"I do karate?"

"So this is why we're here. You've given me so much kindness and I've got so little to give back to you so I'm going to help you with one of the few things I'm actually good at. I want to train you."

Usagi clasped Naruto's hands in her own. "If you want to train us, then I want to be trained... Naruto-sensei!" She smiled. Behind her, the other Senshi nodded their approval.

Naruto put on her serious face. "Then here's how it's going to work. Me against all of you. I won't use chakra; you don't get to transform. Come at me with the intent to kill," she smirked maliciously as she repeated her sensei's words, "if you don't want to die!"

In a panic, the Senshi hastily adopted fighting stances of various degrees of quality. Ami's stance made her look like she needed certain facilities rather desperately; she became the ninja's first victim as a light sweep to the back of the knees knocked her on her derriere.

"Sailor Kick!" As if the clumsy kick was not telegraphed enough, Usagi's cry made it readable from the other side of the planet. Naruto ducked under the foot aimed, optimistically, at her face and use the upraised leg to throw her prey over her shoulder into an unready Rei, leaving both girls sprawled on the ground under their combined weight. Three casualties in only two moves.

Makoto was another matter. Naruto was forced to block the initial barrage of punches with both forearms which hurt a lot more than she expected. She whistled with appreciation as she reluctantly gave ground.

"I told you: I do karate."

Something lashed across the newly formed bruises on Naruto's arms. She looked to see that Minako had unfastened the belt from her jeans and was now utilising it as a whip. Not only had her loose stance been the best out of admittedly bad bunch, which was why Naruto had planned on leaving her for last, but she was now showing a degree of resourcefulness and underhandedness worthy of being a ninja. Naruto approved.

Individually, Naruto reckoned she could beat either girl but they were both good enough that together Naruto was fighting a losing battle. Though she was able to get in the odd attack and even, one time, snatch Minako's whip out of the air, she was steadily losing ground and eventually ran out altogether.

A careless reverse step onto nothingness sent her rolling head over heels backwards down the bank and onto the lake. She was about to leap back into action when she realised what she was standing on. Laughing and, to her surprise, panting, she signalled her concession.

"We won?"

"How do you like us now?"

"...two out of five."

"Wait! That's it?"

Naruto pointed behind Makoto to where Ami was leaning against a tree, brushing dirt off her skinned knees, and where Rei and Usagi were still trying to get out from each other and failing, sparking a row.

"Two out of five still standing." Naruto said before she leapt up the ten foot of bank in a single leap. "Do you guys want to take a break?"

The girls practically chorused their agreement.

* * *

After they had finished taking turns on the public water fountain, Rei sheepishly turned to Naruto.

"...now that we have got everyone here, there is something we need to talk about Naruto-chan."

"Hmm?"

"I love having you staying with Grandfather and myself, you are a breath of fresh air at the shrine and so good at keeping him in check..."

"Not to mention I rock the uniform!"

Rei giggled before composing herself. "...but you can't stay with us forever. Grandfather allowed it because of your circumstances but sooner or later he is going to start asking questions.

"I see." Naruto's shoulders slumped. "When do you want be to pack my things?"

Makoto placed a soothing hand on the taller girl's shoulder. "How about as soon as you're ready to move in with me. I live alone, I could use the company and you can help with my plants."

Naruto's head flickered back and forth between the two girls. "Were you two planning to give me a scare?"

Rei blushed furiously and poked her fingers together like an embarrassed schoolgirl, which, admittedly, she was. "I may have mishandled it... just a little."

* * *

The training continued through the afternoon with Naruto using her shadow clones to give each girl one-to-one training as necessary. The sun was starting to set when they took their final rest break before heading home. Ami used this opportunity to finally espouse her theory regarding the Senshi's disguises.

Apparently, ordinary people couldn't see the Senshi's ususual hair and eye colours when they were in their civilian forms and Ami believed that there was a form of perception filter that caused people to disbelieve that a group of ordinary schoolgirls could possibly be superheroes, despite the glaring similarities. She also said that Naruto was able to figure it out due to being "out of context"; she had no reason not to believe they were the same people. This was all theoretical, however, as Luna, when Ami had asked her about it, wasn't able to give any kind of confirmation as the Senshi of the Silver Millennium had no need for anonymity.

The conversation had moved on to various anecdotes when a lone droid shuffled out of the treeline. As it approached the alarmed girls, it seemed to grow with every step. It tilted its head back and let out a terrifying scream, despite having no mouth, and its formed exploded with a cancerous growth. Tendrils of dark matter lashed out to grab the girls before lifting them off their feet. The Senshi tried to transform but their arms were bound and they could feel their energy being drained.

Naruto grit her teeth and a red aura flared around her. The tendril binding her exploded into goo and she dropped to the ground, landing with trained grace. As she raised her head to glare at the mutated droid, the Senshi were shocked to see an all too familiar sigil blazing on the girl's forehead. A wand appeared floating in the air before her. The necessary words emerged from Naruto's soul rather than her mind.

"Eris Planet Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Cliffhanger!

Hands up if you saw that coming! Now use those hands to smack all the oblivious people who didn't.

Now I have to write a description of a transformation sequence. Fun times!

Hopefully the next chapter will be out even quicker. (This chapter was mostly written over two Saturdays. I just had to kick my arse into actually doing it.)


	5. Act 5

This was finished in less than a week but I wanted a second opinion which took forever to get.

Also: I never want to write another transformation sequence EVER!

* * *

Act 5: Naruto, Sailor Eris

"Eris Planet Power, Make Up!"

Reaching out Naruto's chipped nails were restored to perfect condition as they were coated with dark orange polish. As she grasped the wand above her head, crimson lightning formed a circle at her feet before shooting into the heavens. Her workmanlike sandals disappeared and were replaced with elegant, cross-strapped ones. Long fingerless black gloves formed on her arms. The power concentrated on her torso which became clad in a black leotard. This was swiftly capped with a short skirt in the same colour as the nails. Naruto didn't have to look to know it was complimented by a matching ribbon at the small of her back. Finally a tiara appeared on her forehead, spilling outward from where the glyph had appeared. Sailor Eris had arrived.

"What the hell?!"

...and was none too pleased with her new apparel. Unfortunately for her, she was given no time to adapt to the situation before the droid's tendrils lashed out, flinging her through the air to be fatally impaled on a tree branch. Sailor Eris's body twitched for a few seconds before falling still... and exploding into a puff of smoke.

The droid buckled slightly as the weight of a teenage girl suddenly appeared on what now passed for its shoulders.

"Guarded by Eris, the bastion planet, I am the Soldier of Strife, Sailor Eris. All who threaten my comrades will face my retribution!"

Eris kicked the droid in the back of the head as she somersaulted from its back. Barbed golden chains whirred through the air to slice through the air to slice apart the tendrils, dropping the other girls on the ground, without trained grace. As soon as they were on their feet, they transformed but there was no place for them in this fight. Copies of Eris assaulted the droid's "chin" one after another, propelling it into the air. Eris used a clone's back as a springboard to leap up after it.

"Chain Cross Cutter!" Eris lashed out both vertically and horizontally with her golden chains, catching the unfortunate droid in the middle and quartering it, its dark form bleeding out into nothingness. Landing on her feet, Eris turned to the other Senshi and smiled.

"See! Now that's how you do eaaarrrrggghhhh!"

Eris screamed inhumanly as the red aura from before spilled uncontrollably from her body. What could only be described as tails of the energy formed behind the girl. A bloody crimson, almost so dark as to be black, spread over her form and her pained cries intensified.

Seeing her friend in pain, Sailor Moon did not hesitate to act. The Spiral Heart Moon Rod, given to her by her future self, manifested in her hands as she began to elegantly spin.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" A wave of healing light spread across the ground, blowing away the cursed energy. Before Naruto's legs could give out from beneath her as tears rolled down her cheeks, she found herself embraced by Usagi. It was comforting, but the effect was somewhat spoilt by the nine inch height difference.

"Let's go home."

* * *

The mad scientist just stood staring serenely from the shadows at the sorceress, a smug smirk across his sinister visage.

"Grr. Professor, you were right. The being was a suitable vessel and the energy harvested will be most useful for our master's work" the magus conceded. "Now, will you kindly stop smiling like that?!"

"Hmm... no."

"Gah!"

* * *

Naruto lay on a couch in the secret base, momentarily distracted from her dilemma through the discovery of the earrings which had apparently manifested when she became a Senshi.

"Naruto-chan, we fully understand if you don't want to talk about it but could you tell us what happened out there."

She sighed and pulled herself into a sitting position. "Sixteenish years ago, my hometown was attacked by a giant demon fox. No-one could kill it, not even our best and brightest. Our leader, the strongest among all of us, could only defeat it by sealing it away inside a newborn baby, at the cost of his own life. Guess who the lucky brat was." Naruto smiled despondently as she lifted up her shirt, revealing a tattoo-like mark that resembled the sun. Usagi bit her lip; a certain dream, until now half-remembered, suddenly made sense to her.

"All the adults knew what was inside me but I didn't get to find out for myself until I was twelve. Its power begins to leak out when I get really angry, like you killed my friend angry, but it's getting stronger and one day I'm not going to be able to stop it anymore. Today was worse than it's ever been. I used to dream of becoming hokage, like I told you in the hospital, but I'm starting to think that's impossible."

She found herself on the receiving end of another Usagi hug. "It's not impossible. No matter what happens, I'll bring you back. I made a promise."

The others joined the embrace until Naruto was trapped under five humans and two cats and was desperately trying to tap out. Once the poor girl was released, Makoto raised the subject that was at the back of the group's thoughts.

"I've never heard of a planet Eris."

Almost every head turned to look at Ami who turned red from the attention.

"It's a little embarrassing to admit but I haven't either. As far as I know there's only nine planets. Ten if you count Nemesis. There was a Greek goddess by that name, if it helps"

"Back in the silver millennium," Minako spoke up, her eyes gazing a thousand years into the past, "there were loads of Sailor Senshi. Not just for planets but things like moons and asteroids. They weren't as powerful as us, warriors like us, but they served other roles like artists and courtiers."

She shook her head to bring herself back to the present, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry but I need to be alone right now!" she said as she ran out of the room.

Usagi tried to chase her but Artemis barred her way.

"Sorry Usagi, but I need you to let me handle this." he said, nodding to Luna, before heading after his ward.

"That's strange" Ami spoke up.

"He's known her longer than anyone. I suppose it should be him."

"Not that, this!" Ami was sat at the computer terminal. "I tried looking up Eris on the database but everything related is classified. I've never seen it do that regarding anything!"

"Typical! I move to another planet and still no-one lets me know about me!"

* * *

Artemis found Minako in the cafe above the arcade, nursing a parfait. He hopped up onto the bench opposite, ruining it for anyone with an allergy to cat hair.

"Why can't I be allowed to forget? Everyone else is. Me, I get such clear memories of her life. Everything I have in my life right now is because of her: you, the girls, this parfait!"

"Do you really think that? That I only see you as Aphrodite? Poppycock! Yes, she's the reason we met but the girl I know, the girl who I am talking to right now, the girl I call my best friend is Aino Minako! I never had any of that with Aphrodite; I barely even knew her! And parfaits didn't exist a thousand years ago; that one's all you!"

"Do you really mean it?"

"Of course I do! Besides, I've seen your grades; you're definitely not her. Now are you done moping?"

"I'm a teenage girl; I'm allowed to keep moping until I finish my comfort food."

"Could you order me one? I don't want to spook the waitress."

"...Artemis? Why is Sailor Eris's uniform black instead of white?"

* * *

Rei was tending the sacred fire, so Naruto slept alone on her last night in the shrine. As she dreamed, she found herself in an all too familiar sewer before an all too familiar cage. The golden chains forming a barbed net across the bars were a new addition though. Several of the chains were broken and trailed towards Naruto's feet.

A woman stepped out of the shadows behind Naruto, clad in the uniform of Sailor Eris, except it was white where Naruto's was black. Though her face remained obsfucated, her long red hair was clearly visible.

"Naruto, Sailor Eris, I come with a warni..."

"Agh! You're the fox! You're trying to trick me!"

"Dumbass!" The woman's fist impacted on the top of the girl's skull. "I spend sixteen years of my afterlife watching over you and this is the thanks I get!"

"Afterlife? Watching?" There was something awfully familiar about the woman's speech patterns but Naruto couldn't place it.

The woman pulled her into a hug. "Please, you can't use the chains anymore. It's not safe. I need you to promise me."

"Who are you?"

Naturally, that was when Naruto woke up.

"Damn it!"

* * *

Rei gazed into the flames, troubled with what she had seen.

Awaken

Awaken

The time is drawing near

when the light that leads to the three talismans will be illuminated

signalling the start of great destruction

* * *

I'm going to be starting following (only to a certain level, of course) the canon sequence of events so a lot of future chapters will be about 90% novelisation of the manga. This will either make it easier or harder to write; either way you should get longer chapters. I apologise in advance for my lack of originality.


	6. Act 6

Hello True Believers! Any of you still there? This chapter took a lot longer than I ever expected; so long in fact that Sailor Moon Crystal is now covering the same arc. I am sorry; I thought it would go quicker than this due to heavily being based on the manga but three things got in the way:

1) This chapter is a lot longer that what has gone before.

2) Turns out there is a degree of truth in the old proverb "a picture is worth a thousand words". Translating the manga into my writing was a lot harder than I thought.

3) I had more important things to do: work, study, etc. This story is important to me but real life demands other things have priority.

Well you've listened to me ramble for long enough. Have a chapter.

* * *

Act 6

Magus Kaolinite knelt in worship to the fountain at the centre of the darkened amphitheatre, bare knees touching hard ground chilled by the night air, her long crimson hair spilling all across her back. Her presence here was naught but an astral projection, this place existed between mind and matter, dream and reality, truth and lie, but it felt real to her senses. As water poured from stone fish heads, it began to pulse with an unnatural light and Kaolinite heard her lord and master's edict echo within the depths of her mind.

_"The light has awakened. This light shines to illuminate the path that will lead us to the Omega Area... to the ruins of our sacred land. We will draw them all into the Omega Area using the power of our old world. This place will be filled with our aura and we will draw all into it._

_"But I can see a different light: starlight, shining from the 'protector of this planet'. From_ _within the glow of this planet's 'protector', I can feel the strength of our life source; the light of the Taioron Crystal is close at hand. It shines..._

_ "This sacred land rightfully belongs to us; from here we will create a new world. You must not let anyone get in the way of our plans; eliminate the useless light of all others."_

Kaolinite allowed herself a smile in anticipation of the carnage to follow. "I understand, Pharaoh 90, my master. We shall awaken the light that leads to great destruction and ruin."

* * *

Even though the sunlight blinded her and she couldn't hear anything but the ringing of the bells, nothing could bring Usagi down right now. The man whose arm was linked in hers wasn't just Mamo-chan, but her new husband. She couldn't wait to see the photos; they looked like the perfect fairy tale couple, she just knew it. The only thing that could possibly make it better is if someone would shut off that annoying alarm.

...

Alarm? Just as Usagi bolted awake, her mother burst through the door.

"Usagi! It's already past eight o'clock!"

"What? Oh no!" In what would have been a speed record for any ordinary junior high school student, Usagi was washed, dressed and out the door. She sprinted down the stairs and bolted from the house. "W-why didn't you wake me up? Oh my god!"

Tsukino Ikuko just sighed, a woman broken. "Every single morning, it's like this with that girl."

"You're so right, Ikuko-mama." Chibiusa sagely observed between mouthfuls of buttered toast as she sat watching the news with her 'father'. At her feet, her kitten Diana, a fellow refugee from the future, watched in hopes of any dropped crumbs. "It's hard to believe she still acts like such a child."

"And now on to our next news segment. Yesterday, at Infinity Academy, a private school in the Minato Ward, a strange monster is said to have appeared and laid siege to the school." Luna, sat on the windowsill, turned her attention from the return of the daily drama, which had taken a merciful break during the summer holiday, to what the reporter was saying. "Eyewitnesses report that two of the girls attacked during the siege changed into monsters themselves. The reports say that the transformation appeared to revert the victims to a primitive state..."

"Kenji-papa, what's 'primitive'?"

Kenji lowered his cup from his mouth and propped his chin up with his free hand. "Oh, they mean that a long time ago, humans looked more like gorillas. That's primitive. I think that's what they meant the girls looked like." His face fell, his glasses slipping slightly down his nose. "Can that really be true? If so, that's really scary."

As Chibiusa cheerfully ran out the door bidding her substitute parents a fond farewell, Luna, from her perch on the windowsill, frowned as she ruminated on the report. It was clear that the incidents with the droids were part of a bigger picture and now innocent people were paying the price. It was times like this where it most galled her that she couldn't fight, only advise.

* * *

As Chiba Mamoru waited for the love of his life, he had plenty of time to dedicate to his musings. He worried about the dream, the vision, foretelling destruction which he had been having every night since Usagi had called to enthusiastically tell him about their new comrade-in-arms. He pondered about the difficulty of taking university entrance exams while battling the forces of darkness. He wondered just how long Usagi was going to keep him waiting!

"Sorry Mamo-chan!"

"Oi! Usako! I thought you told me you'd be here earlier!"

As Usagi brought her mad dash to a halt, he heard her murmur under her breath. "Mamo-chan's never been so casual with me before… I think I liked it better when he was a bit more romantic and polite." She clamped on to his arm with such force that he was pulled a little off-balance. "Ma-mo-chan- I'm sorry I'm late! I promise I won't be late again so it's settled, okay? Now how about a good morning kiss…?"

When she released him, two things happened in close succession. First, Mamoru sighed in exasperation; he loved Usagi but he didn't believe her for a minute. Secondly, that sigh turned into a grunt as a rocket in the guise of an elementary schooler impacted at waist height.

"Good morning Mamo-chan!" He looked down to see the cherubic face of Chibiusa. It may have just been his imagination but he swore he could here Usagi's teeth grating.

"Good morning Mamoru-sama!" A diplomatic escape came in the form of the grey kitten appearing from behind Chibiusa's feet.

Bidding Diana a warm greeting, he lifted her up and nuzzled her against her face.

"It's not fair! You're only holding Diana now!"

"Well then, all you need to do is become a cat and then I'll hold you more."

"What?" Little kids were all too easy to tease; he wondered whether Usagi should be lumped in that category.

"Ugh! This was supposed to be our secret morning rendezvous." Speak of the devil.

"Oh, yeah! Usagi!" Chibiusa held up the package in her arms. "You forgot your lunch. You know, you really ought to eat your breakfast before you leave in the morning; it's the right way to start your day."

"Wow Chibiusa, you sure do know a lot." Mamoru said as he affectionately rubbed her head.

Okay. Those teeth were definitely audible.

"Chibiusa-chan!" From down the street, a young girl dressed in Chinese fashions called out to them; Mamoru recognised her as Chibiusa's best friend, the somewhat unfortunately named Momohara Momoko. She was accompanied by a few more children he didn't think he knew.

"Oh hey! It's Momo-chan and the others!" Chibiusa ran after them, waving back to her would-be parents as she did.

He felt Usagi embrace his arm again, but this time it was tenderly rather than forceful. Their eyes met and he pulled her forwards into a kiss.

Awaken

Signal the start of great destruction

Almost as soon as their lips touched, he pulled back. Usagi looked him in the eye and she knew. They held each other close, seeking solace in each other's warmth, an unspoken message shared.

Their peaceful days had come to an end.

* * *

Not many high school students could take a dip in their private pool before homeroom started but then again most were not the scion of a powerful conglomerate. The fifteen year old heiress, having sated her passion for the water, dried herself off, taking extra care to restore her luxurious wavy hair to perfection, before calling for her transport. Normally one would consider it the height of opulence to take a helicopter to school, especially when that school was all but next door, but today she had to go collect that person before they completely lose track of time.

On the roof, she took one last look out into the bay.

"The ocean looks choppy today."

* * *

There was no opponent, not today, but the young racer didn't need one. He never had. The only person that he needed to beat was himself. It was never about victory with him but the joy of speed and motion, the phantasmal feeling of wind rushing through his short fair hair.

As Tenou Haruka stepped out of his car, the stands erupted with adoration for both himself and the powerful beast he had driven so perfectly. He knew that most of the girls cheering for him cared less for his skill and more for his beautiful features, androgynous to the point that if he wore a dress, no one would think to question 'her' gender.

The phone in his hand went off and Haruka knew it was the only girl that mattered. Looking into the sky, he could see the shadows of a pair of helicopters. While they were too far away to make out the details, he imagined the lead vehicle was his own 'Tenoumaru', meaning the one trailing was…

"Michiru. You're late."

"Ara? You didn't lose track of time for once? I'm a little disappointed."

The helicopters touched down on the tarmac and a perfect vision of sublime elegance stepped out; Kaioh Michiru, his girlfriend.

"Good morning, Haruka."

"Good morning, Michiru."

They were the perfect celebrity couple; Tenou Haruka, the handsome teenage racer, and Kaioh Michiru, the beautiful teenage concert violinist. Despite being scions of great wealth, neither had been content to live their life as merely someone else's child. Something inside them had driven them to excel. It was that, and perhaps a smidgeon of fate, that had brought them together.

With practiced ease, Michiru, all five foot four of her, casually interposed herself between Haruka and the crowd so that her boyfriend could don his uniform with some degree of privacy. She was the only one to know his greatest secret and it was going to stay that way.

He wished he could show her the love she needed, the love she deserved. All he could do was show her affection in public and give her comfort in private, but they could never be truly happy together, not as things stood.

"The wind sure is brutal today."

* * *

"Hello!" Usagi gaily announced her presence to the arcade as she entered, her oldest friend, discounting reincarnation, Osaka Naru in tow. Furuhata Motoki, the arcade's manager and Makoto's number one crush, cheerfully greeted his favourite customer in reply.

"You're late. I managed to get through an entire book waiting for you, Usagi-chan." With a smile, Ami snapped her book shut for emphasis. Much as she knew her academically gifted friend was teasing her, Usagi could not discount the possibility that she was telling the truth.

"Just as I thought, you were goofing off." Rei scoffed, brushing purple hair away from her ear. The meanie shrine maiden had been watching Naruto who was totally absorbed in a new samurai fighting game. Somehow, against all probability, the 'foreign' girl had found a blonde ninja to play as and was slowly but steadily working her way through a stack of yen (borrowed from Rei) every time she lost.

"Ah, Usagi, you're finally here!"

"Hurry! Hurry! You've got to try this game; it's so much fun!"

From the corner of the game centre, Minako and Makoto stood up from imitation car seats and beckoned their leader over. The game they had been sat at, Battle Laps, was a state-of-the-art racing game that the arcade must have only just got in as Usagi had never seen it before.

As soon as she was seated, someone plonked a realistic facsimile of a racer's helmet onto her head. While the game felt fiendishly complicated at first (it even required you to use the clutch to change gears!), Usagi was soon up to speed and powering along the track. She could have done without the motion sickness, however. By her shoulder, Naru leaned in with wide-eyed fascination.

Usagi felt a presence beside her. Someone had sat down in the player two seat and already caught up with her, despite her head start. Amidst her friends' cries of amazement, and the sound of the crowd gathering to watch her talented opponent, she heard Naru shout out a warning, a half second after it was needed.

Crashing in first person nearly made her want to throw up. She pulled off her helmet and took in a grateful lung of oxygen. "I don't feel good! That helmet was way too heavy!"

"Usagi, you were going at an amazing speed …before you crashed" Naru whispered the last part.

Usagi brushed out her long hair with her fingers. "I couldn't tell how fast I was going with that icky helmet on."

"It's not how fast am I going. It's how much faster can I still go. Those kinds of thought are what a real racer should have." Her opponent had stood up and taken off his helmet to reveal a gorgeous high school student. While Minako and Makoto was blinded by adoration for their latest crush, Usagi could only hear her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

* * *

Mamoru had his eyes cast down at the ground, in retrospect a foolish move in a city as packed as Tokyo, so did not see the girl until he bumped into her, sending the ornate mirror she had been holding clattering to the ground. As he reached down to pick it up, apologising as he did so, his fingers brushed against hers. Their eyes met in the reflection, the blue of a king to the blue of the sea.

"Such a noble colour, the colour of your eyes. As if you were a prince in a past life."

"Why would you say that?" What is with this girl? Mamoru wondered.

The girl caressed her mirror fondly. "This mirror allows me to see into people's past lives."

* * *

Out of the corner of her eye, Usagi could see Mamoru outside the arcade, chatting with a regal seeming high schooler. She felt a tug on her ponytails as the teen heartthrob she had been racing literally grabbed her attention.

"We should race again sometime, buns" he said with a smile as he stepped out of the door.

* * *

The girl's attention was grabbed by a fair haired boy her age emerging from the arcade. She turned back to Mamoru with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry if I said something strange. I hope you won't think badly of me. Farewell."

Mamoru watched her as she left with her boyfriend. She had been a beautiful lady but he had not been able to read her expression at all. And what school was she from; he did not recognise the uniform. The prince of Earth could not help feeling that there was something more to that chance encounter. Entering the arcade he was greeted by the sight of Naru hopping on her best friend's shoulders with excitement, hearts filling the redhead's eyes.

"Hey Usagi! Did you know that guy is really famous? I've seen him around here too."

"He was wearing an Infinity Academy uniform." From seemingly nowhere, the group's perpetually uninvited yet perpetually present hanger-on, Umino Gurio, appeared next to Naruto causing the girl to fall from her stool in shock. At Usagi's clear lack of understanding, the bespectacled boy continued. "It's in the business delta that was built atop of the bay. ("What is that and how do I kill it?" "Relax, he's harmless.") It's a recently established top ranking private school located in the Infinity Delta."

"Infinity Academy is a school focused on teaching the talented; future Olympiads, top musicians… those kinds of people" Naru supplied. Behind her, Umino nodded in approval at the progress his apprentice in exposition was making. "Since only the cream of the crop go there, it's been labelled a school for geniuses."

Following Naru's lead, the group adjourned to a nearby bookstore where she pulled a celebrity magazine from the shelves. There, next to an interview with him, was a grinning photo of the mystery boy.

"Here look! I knew I had seen that guy somewhere before. 'Tenou Haruka'. He's a champion racing driver despite not even being a year older than us."

"What? A real racer?" Usagi felt she had been robbed; "I knew he was too good!"

"It says here that he transferred to Infinity Academy after graduating junior high."

While the love-struck brain trust stuck their heads together to plot 'accidentally' meeting him again, no-one noticed Naruto intently staring at Haruka's picture.

"…white…"

Suddenly, they heard screams from down the street. Erupting from the back of a girl, a girl wearing an Infinity Academy uniform, was a hideously deformed black mass which vaguely resembled a spider but definitely resembled the mutant droid from the park. The thing bore down on another girl wearing the same uniform.

Behind the group, Mamoru grabbed Naru and Umino and moved them to safety. With any witnesses now removed, the Senshi wasted no time in transforming.

"For love and justice, we are the Sailor Senshi and we're going to stop you!"

"We don't discriminate."

"We will dole out harshness to anyone who causes trouble."

A dropkick from Sailor Eris forced the beast away from any potential victims. Before the fiend knew what was happening, Venus's chain rose like a sword while Jupiter's lightning fell like a hammer. Slain, the fiend's corpse dissolved into the wind, leaving behind an unconscious teenager.

As Jupiter ordered the unfortunate victim's friend to call for an ambulance, Venus felt a shiver run up her spine as she felt eyes on her. It was stupid; of course there were eyes on her, they were being gawked at by a growing crowd (this is what happens when superheroes fight monsters in the middle of a shopping district), but this felt different.

* * *

After ensuring the poor girl was safely in the hands of paramedics, the girls had retreated to their headquarters. There, after watching the latest battle footage, Luna spoke a single word.

"De-evolution."

"Luna?"

"Did any of you see this morning's news? The top story was about this monster that attacked students and transforms them into de-evolved versions of themselves… monsters. The ones mentioned this morning were Infinity Academy students too, I think."

"Oh god! Did anyone…?"

"Don't worry. The report didn't mention any deaths."

While the Senshi were relieved to hear that, it was only a fleeting comfort. Infinity Academy and de-evolved monsters; the whole thing smelled fishy. Their course was set; once school ended tomorrow, they would investigate Infinity Academy.

* * *

"Report."

Arrayed in a line, the Witches 5, the apprentices and minions of Kaolinite, stood in various degrees of nervousness before their furious master. "Twice in the last two days, we have had hosts manifest in public. Which of you three incompetents is incapable of controlling your charges?"

Of the trio in charge of 'recruitment', only Viluy, as cold and dispassionate as ever, was able to hold her gaze. Eudial tried and failed to match her colleague's composure, a string of small tells giving her away. Mimette could not managed even that; the weakest of the five was looking away, her body visibly shaking. Like any good predator, Kaolinite went for the easiest kill.

"Mimette," she purred, running long fingers through the girl's strawberry blonde perm; "is there something you'd like to confess?"

"Oh, it wasn't any of them." A voice she hadn't been expecting spoke up. Cyprine, the strongest but most unstable of her subordinates, gleefully sidled over, a pleased-as-punch smile plastered across her pretty face. "I was bored so I'd thought I'd have some fun."

Anger turned Kaolinite's face as red as her hair. "You stupid girl! Do you have any idea how much danger you put us all in? This planet is protected and we are not yet ready. And you would risk everything because you were bored?!"

"Like you didn't do the same thing first!"

"We used leftover creatures from the previous group of invaders to test their viability as hosts. You used students who could be traced back to us! Twice! My god! Do you possess even an ounce of subtlety?"

The little punk blew a raspberry of contempt. "Subtlety is for two-digit weaklings. And did you see their cute painful faces as they changed."

"After we are done here, you and I are going to have words."

"Fine! Be like that! I'm not gonna tell you 'bout the third one!" and with that she faded back into the real world, not bothering to wait for further orders.

"What third one!?" With a noise that was half sigh, half growl, Kaolinite conjured a throne just so she could sit down and rub her aching temples. "Tell me where the rest of you are at."

"Magus," Eudial stood smartly to attention; "Mimette and I have 'recruitment drives' scheduled and ready to proceed and"

"I'm going to get so many more than you" Mimette cut off her more professional counterpart, emboldened now she was out of the line of fire; "and Viluy's stupid method isn't going to produce anything because it's stupid."

"I am enacting a long term solution for complete saturation which yields increased tactical flexibility." Viluy reported.

"Nerd!"

"Whatever"

Kaolinite turned to Tellu, the only member of the Witches 5 not to speak in this meeting. "And how is your energy gathering project proceeding."

"I am pleased to report that the development stage has concluded and we are now moving to mass production." The green haired woman smiled proudly. "Might I ask what your plans are for Cyprine? I know she wasn't assigned a role in the plan."

"Cyprine is what she always has been: a blunt instrument to pull out in emergencies. I'm not so foolish to trust her with anything more complicated."

Kaolinite allowed herself a victorius smirk. Despite the actions of a certain psychotic moron, everything was proceeding to schedule. There was only one remaining obstacle. She stood up to pose for maximum dramatic effect.

"For the master's new world,_ our _new world, to come to fruition, we can allow no failure. These Sailor Senshi will not be allowed to stand in our way. Whoever slays one of our enemies will be granted the power of a magus by Master Pharaoh 90 and stand beside me as an equal."

It was encouraging to see raw ambition shining in her minion's eyes at her announcement. Not that she had any intention of honouring her promise, especially to Cyprine.

* * *

"I'm home!"

"You're back late, Usagi."

"Yeah, we stayed over at Mako-chan's place. She made us dinner; it was so delicious!" Usagi gleefully reported to her mother. Makoto had made roast beef sandwiches au jus with marinated salmon, kabocha, and a chez nous salad, followed by mille-feuille for dessert; it just wasn't fair that Naruto got to eat stuff like that every day.

"Okay, Mamo-chan. I'll see you tomorrow!" Chibiusa hung up the phone only to find herself hanging by her skirt's waistband as Usagi hoisted her into the air.

"Hey Chibiusa, you didn't call Mano-chan on the phone did you? What did you want with him?"

"That's-a-secret!" Chibiusa replied, blowing a raspberry. Usagi snarled and the scuffle began.

"You little brat!"

"Ow! Quit it Usagi, you ass!"

"You two better stop it right now!" With practiced ease, Ikuko reached into the ball of violence and extracted the smaller girl. "Chibiusa-chan is going to the amusement park tomorrow with her friends and I'm going to my weekly mother's meeting so I can't supervise her. Maybe you should go and watch her since with all the weird stuff going on it's not safe for young kids to be outside on their own."

"Mamo-chan is coming too" Chibiusa sang glibly. "We're going to ride the new rollercoaster that goes over the ocean at Infinity Park C. I'm so happy! I'm so happy!"

* * *

Scant minutes after talking to his daughter, Mamoru heard his phone ring and answered it to hear the distraught voice of the love of his life.

"Mamo-chan!" she whined; "why are you taking Chibiusa to the new amusement park and not me!"

"When Ikuko-mama called and asked me, she was so pushy about it I couldn't turn her down."

"Well fine then. I'm coming too!"

"Aren't you supposed to go investigate Infinity Academy tomorrow?"

Had she forgotten? Silence. A lot of silence. She had forgotten.

"Y-yeah, that's right." With a small voice Usagi replied before bursting into tears so loudly that Mamoru had to quickly move the handset away from his ears before he suffered permanent damage.

"Usako. The amusement park is in the delta area you're supposed to be investigating tomorrow."

"R-really?" she sniffled.

"Yeah. Infinity Academy is there too. The park we're going to is right next to the academy. If anything happens, use your communicator and I'll be right over."

* * *

The Infinity District. It lay in the centre of the ongoing project to reclaim land from Tokyo Bay. Three rail lines intersected to form the delta; the Tenou, Kaioh and Meioh lines. Office buildings had been built around the area creating a business district.

The area at the centre of the delta was known as the Infinity District. At its very heart, six teenage girls stood before the Infinity Academy, a towering skyscraper which didn't resemble any school any of them had ever seen before.

"So this is it, huh?" Naruto asked, craning her head to look at all sixty stories. "Guards, cameras… is this a school or a fortress?"

"Infinite Academy offers a complete education. It covers every level of education from kindergarten to university. It seems that a number of corporations are involved in its curriculum in order to create a new elite professional class. The principal is a woman by the name of Kuromine Kaori." Ami read from her handheld computer; a job perk of being the soldier of wisdom. "That's strange; this building's density reading doesn't match what it should be. It's like the building is warped somehow."

"Is that why the wind is so abnormally powerful?" Makoto asked as yet another gust of wind caused both hair and skirts to ruffle wildly. "I don't like the feel of this."

Beside her, Rei closed her eyes and opened her spiritual senses. "I can feel an energy coming from here. A very strong power is emanating from this building." Vague as she was, none of the girls were about to second guess the shrine maiden's mind's eye.

Again. Once again, Minako could feel unwelcoming eyes on them. She quickly turned, to the bafflement of her friends, to scan one of the nearby condominiums. Was that someone in that high window or was it just a reflection? Was this just paranoia?

"Seriously though, with all this security, how are we supposed to get inside?"

Usagi's eyes shined from the lightbulb which flared to life in her brain. "I'll get inside, no problem. Just watch this!" she giggled.

Minako's head turned back to her leader, her paranoia overwhelmed by a bad feeling about what Usagi was up to. The bun-haired blonde pulled out her old disguise pen, something none of them had seen in what must have been a year.

"Moon Power! Turn me into an Infinity Academy student!"

"Usagi-chan?!" While the others chorused their friend's name, Ami just silently facepalmed. While Usagi had succeeded in acquiring a uniform and glasses, she had done nothing to change the girl underneath despite having once used the pen to change sex entirely.

"Okay guys, wait here. I'm going to check out what's inside."

"H-hey, wait a minute, Usagi!"

"I wonder if she will be okay."

"Who knows?" Rei clutched her aching head; "ugh, that Usagi-chan…"

"Huh? Where's Naruto-chan?"

* * *

The girls screamed with giddy anticipation as the rollercoaster slowly clacked its way up its initial ascent. Watching them, safely on Terra Firma, Mamoru and his ever faithful underclassman, Asanuma Ittou, sipped overpriced soda.

"Sempai, aren't you going to take a ride too?" the fair haired junior asked.

"No. Amusement parks really aren't my cup of tea." Mamoru sighed wearily. "Sorry for dragging you here after school, Asanuma."

"Chibiusa-chan must be crazy to want to ride that rollercoaster a second time!" Mamoru turned around to see the three young boys his daughter had brought with her.

"So, are you all in the same class as Chibiusa?" he asked with a friendly wink.

"Yep!" they cheerfully chorused.

"Do you want more drinks? You guys wait her while I get them."

Trapped by the rollercoaster's safety harness, Chibiusa was powerless to prevent the wind from carrying off her favourite hat. Forlorn, she watched it fly into the middle of the district, disappearing from sight behind a foreboding looking tower.

As soon as she was off the ride, she set off running towards where she had last seen it. Momo had offered to help her but Chibiusa sent her back to play with the others. Her hat hadn't gone too far. It wasn't like anything bad was going to happen.

Mamoru was returning from the concession stand, his arms full of expensive drinks, when he spied Momoko with no attached Chibiusa.

"Huh? Momo-chan? Where's Chibiusa?"

"Umm… sorry Mamoru-san, Chibiusa-chan's gone. She lost her hat and…"

"…left the park to find it?! Asanuma, what are you doing later on?" he asked as he mercilessly discharged both drinks and responsibility onto his underclassman before storming off. "Ugh, kids!"

"Sempai! Don't leave me here!"

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke had it all. Society loved him for his lineage, teachers loved him for his grades, teenage girls loved him because he was tall, dark and handsome with eyes that pierced the soul. He found them all annoying; why couldn't they all leave him alone to brood about his dead parents?

Inside his head, Naruto cracked up over her depiction of her best friend. The transformation technique, Henge no Jutsu, offered copious amounts of pranking potential and Naruto had a talent for it. Clad in her illusionary shell, she stalked, and Sasuke did stalk when he was in a mood (i.e. always), the hallways of Infinity Academy looking for clues.

Still, it would have helped to have some idea of what exactly she was looking for or, for that matter, how to navigate the massive academy. As such, when beautiful ethereal music wafted through the corridors, Naruto's feet, acting all on their own, decided to carry her to the source.

* * *

If the outside of the school was merely impressive, then the interior was positively breath-taking. A thirty foot tall window filled the five storey high lobby with radiant sunlight. Half of the ground floor was taken up by a pool of crystal clear water which stood in front of a glass elevator so high-tech the mechanisms could not be seen.

A large information board directed visitors to various department on different floors but without knowing what she was trying to find, Usagi just drifted along. The enchanting melody of a violin filled her ears and not knowing what else to do, Usagi followed the sound up through the building and out through a glass door onto a low roof. In the middle of a gardened patio, stood the girl Mamoru had been talking to outside the arcade, using a Stradivarius (not that Usagi could tell) to create beautiful music like the sound of lapping waves.

Realising she was being watched, the violinist stopped and turned to face the intruder, her eyes showing recognition despite Usagi's disguise.

"Coming to a place like this, you must not know the meaning of fear. It's dangerous her, you know. Someday taking so many risks is going to destroy your body."

* * *

Someone had been watching them. Minako couldn't tell where he had jumped down from but all of a sudden Tenou Haruka stood before them.

"You shouldn't put your necks out on the line like that. If you go home you'll be safe, but get in our way again, I will show no mercy."

* * *

"Hey, you over there, where are you going? Tell me which class you belong to!"

Crap! She'd been so stunned by the girl's warning? threat? that she'd been busted. She turned to flee but ran face first into the palm of a tall, dark, handsome boy.

"There you are, idiot. Stop wandering off all the time." He turned to the security guard. "I got this."

"Who…?"

The boy glared and Usagi swore his eyes turned red. "I said: I got this." He grabbed Usagi by the back of her head and dragged her away. Once they were some distance away however…

"Sheesh, Usagi. What did I tell you about improvisation? You can't just go to pieces as soon as your con is busted." The boy winked, an expression which seemed unnatural on such a serious face.

"Naruto-chan?"

"Sir, I believe those two are imposters from another school." Some violinists had no respect for other people's deceits.

"Hey! You! Stop right there!"

"Now we run?"

"Mm-hm."

* * *

She found the hat atop a sign. It was such a relief; Ikuko-mama had given her the hat and she would be so upset if it was lost.

Chibiusa was now able to take in her surroundings after she had run off in her mad dash. On one side of her was a massive and somewhat ominous skyscraper; on the other, separated from everything by a stone wall, was an odd shaped building with lots and lots of windows. It was kind of cool. If she was reading the sign correctly, it was the Tomoe Laboratories.

Next to the opening in the wall she saw a girl with short dark hair, older than herself but younger than her 'sister' and her friends, collapsed on the floor. Chibiusa wasted no time going to her side.

"Hey? Are you all right? Hang in there."

She reach out her hand only to have it roughly rebuffed.

"…I always have these coughing fits… It'll be over soon enough. The fit will stop." The girl tried to smile weakly between coughs. "This place is off limits to you. You should get out of here."

* * *

Usagi had gotten turned round in the maze and so ended up at the back entrance instead of the front. Somewhere along the line she had lost Naruto but she figured the girl could handle getting caught better than she could.

The last thing she expected to see upon emerging into the daylight was Chibiusa standing in front of one of those modern buildings that are all glass and angles.

"What the heck are you going here, all by yourself? Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

"I lost the hat Ikuko-mama gave me so I came here to find it and then I saw this girl who's in a lot of pain so I came over to check and see if she's all right.

Only then did Usagi notice the pretty but pale girl in the Infinity Academy uniform. Before she could say anything further, a beast emerged from around the corner and proceeded to heave its slug-like bulk over the wall. It surged towards the two younger girls, a maw filled with far too many teeth open for the kill. Senshi instincts took over.

"Moon Cosmic Power…"

"Moon Prism Power…"

"…Make Up!"

"The pretty sailor-suited soldiers for love and justice, Sailor Moon…"

"… and Sailor Chibi-Moon are on the scene!"

* * *

Because of my writing style, I started Act 7 before finishing Act 6. That being said, I'm going to take a couple of me days before I start again. Unless, of course, inspiration sneaks up on me again, the bastard.

Until next time (which hopefully won't be in another 10 months.)


End file.
